


The Reader

by ottermo



Series: As Prompted [20]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 07:11:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15456054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Pre-S1. Leo is trying valiantly NEVER to grow out of having Niska read to him.





	The Reader

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a year and a half ago, according to my Tumblr date stamp, but I remembered it offhand yesterday and thought “Hey, that never made it to AO3,” so here it is! 
> 
> I had put out a call for random Humans prompts, and beronicaau asked for something about Leo’s upbringing with the synths. So here you go.

He tricks her sometimes, pretends to stumble over a difficult word and lose his place, so that she’ll pick up the flow of the sentence. Usually that’s enough to captivate her. Niska reads in bursts of expression, each phrase tumbling so quickly over the last that she’s pages away by the time she notices what he’s done, and scolds him for taking advantage. He gets away with it, though. Every time.

Baddies she reads in a surly growl, her eyes narrowed. Innocent victims are high and trembling - only the heroes have Niska’s own voice, even and crisp like the snow outside. It’s a testament to her storytelling that Leo has stayed inside this morning, even though he can see Fred out of the window, rolling snowballs with Maxie and showing him how to aim. He’ll join them later. One more chapter?

“It’s supposed to be _your_ reading time,” she says, by way of duty.

“I can read already,” Leo dismisses her.

“So can I.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been reading for nine years.” He’s never actually checked that figure with mum or dad, but _surely_ he could at least read his name at three. Otherwise that’s just embarrassing. It’s not like it’s a long one. “You’re not even–”

“But do you have perfect recall and vocal mechanics?” 

“…no,” he admits. 

“Do you have a full pronunciation database? Mine has one hundred and seventy-two thousand entries for English alone.” 

“Alright, alright. I get it.”

Niska smirks. “So,” she says, “Don’t say it like you’re doing _me_ a favour. I’m not the one who needs the practice.” 

Leo tries again. “Niska. Please can you read me one more chapter, ’cause it’s _better_ when you read it.” 

She leaves him hanging for a moment, his blue eyes wide. But it’s difficult to play hard to get when she’s just as caught up in the story as he is. 

“All right.” She glances out of the window. “But when this is done, we’re finding you a scarf and getting out there. Fred’s teaching Max bad habits.”

Leo follows her gaze for a moment and grins, then leans back against her arm, ready to bury himself properly in the world she creates. They might be someone else’s words, but the music is all her own.

 

 


End file.
